“Thousands of the people. They’re droppin’. They’re just droppin’. They look like they’re just waitin’ to die.”
— That was Harry Connick Jr. — sounding utterly staggered and in despair — at the Superdome, to Ron Reagan Jr., live interview. It’s Harry’s hometown. Somehow he got there to try to help.
The MSNBC reporter said they’d been told: “Do not eat in public. Do not drink in public. It could cause a MOB situation.”
REPORTER again: “We’ve been told all these things — food, water, supplies — are coming from the federal government. But we’ve been here four-five days and we haven’t seen a single thing.”
“We’ve been told to get out of town by sundown.”
Someone told the reporter: “In Beirut, they’d drop supplies to people. Why can’t they do the same here?”
I just saw an elderly white woman collapsing while two black men tried to hold her up. A young black woman was leaning over in utter weakness.
I FUCKING HATE GEORGE BUSH. — “Zero tolerance” for lawlessness — you motherfucker, people are desperate and are dying! AND WHERE IS THE FUCKING RED CROSS? They’re getting millions from people who can barely afford to give. USE THE FUCKING MONEY!
Ideas: 1) Let’s all call our Senators and Reps. and ORDER THEM to air-drop food and water to those people IMMEDIATELY.
2( MORE IDEAS?
IMAGE from Crooks and Liars.
What’s Harry Connick Jr. doing in there? We can get Harry Connick Jr. but not the fricking National Guard?
No shit? What the FUCK? Yo, Harry — get some of your rich friends on the fucking horn and get them to drop water and food out of their lear jets — I cannot fucking believe this!!
I am sitting here with my mouth hanging open.
I hope some of those reporters refuse to go. I hope they stay and cover the story. What good are they for otherwise?
They don’t want anybody covering the story! They don’t want witnesses to this crime against humanity! I’M GONNA FUCKING REALLY LOSE IT THIS TIME!
that’s exactly what this is, a crime against humanity. the more i read and watch of this whole debacle, the more angry i become. even on CNN last night the truth came shining through sometimes that the disaster “response” has been thoroughly incompentent to the point of criminality.
WHERE IS THE FOOD AND WATER!!??
Me too, me too — somebody has to stand up here and it has to be the reporters — from the looks of some of them who have been there for the duration, I’m thinking it would take them being led out of town at gunpoint (which I am not at all dismissing as a distinct possiblity) to get them out of there.
Sheppard Smith (and yes, I hate to give Fox props on ANYthing, but Sheppard has been acting like a true human being through all of this from what I’ve seen) arranged for the rescue of a baby yesterday, who was about to die out there on a bridge and the rich people driving by in the tour buses, or worse yet EMPTY buses on their way to elsewhere — you could tell Shep was getting pretty torn up about it all.
I miss Peter Jennings so, so, so very much right now.
There is absolutely no freaken excuse for this situation. Where is the relief? Why are they not at least doing food and water drops? What is wrong with this administration? Why is there not an emergency session of congress/senate? This is obscene!!!!!
Why is there not an emergency session of congress/senate? This is obscene!!!!!
Oh c’mon now. It’s not like this is as important as the Terry Schiavo issue when everyone and their congressional dog could just drop what they were doing and rush back to DC for an emergency session.
sigh…
Isn’t that what they say to the reporters in Iraq too? This is the last fucking straw if there ever was one! I hate this government and I had the infrastructure of the people running it. Talk about HEARTLESS AND SOULLESS!
We MUST do something…NOW!!! People are dying every minute and “help is on the way”? Start calling all your reps, all the media and ask the question HOW MANY WILL HAVE TO DO BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING?????????
and if they give you the old song and dance that they are doing their best twell them their best id not fucking good enough!!!!!! Redcross has collected over 2.5 million get these people the bare necessities like friggin food and water!!!!1
Because actually as much as I dislike the MSM, these journalists are there on the ground and they are pretty freaked out by what they are seeing. A lot of that indignation is coming across in the coverage, and it ain’t pretty for George and the rest of his band of criminals….The journalists MUST stay. and where the fuck are the helicopters with the food drops????
The CNN reporters covering this horrific situation have all been questioning the so-called rescue and relief plans with no holds barred.
What’s unbelievable is that the US government went through the same phenomenon in Iraq with massive looting which they later admitted (well, some of them) that they never expected. Now, considering that experience and the fact that this administartion dealt with all of the logistical problems after 9/11, what exactly have they learned that they’ve actually put to use? NOTHING. Absolutely nothing.
The very fact that the police have no plan for the communications blackout is stunning. The fact that the military was not involved from the first moment in massive amounts speaks volumes. The fact that this administration has no clue how to handle this incredible crisis will definitely sink them. That is the only bright spot in all of this. Bush is a complete failure and, once again, he has the blood of the dead on his hands.
I agree with all of the suggestions: write, phone, fax, harass your elected representatives. Picket their offices to make them act NOW. Contact the White House to express your horror. Ask the WH why they didn’t at least provide one centralized website for all to post messages looking for their loved ones and a place for those to post that they are safe. (Didn’t they learn anything from 9/11)? Talk to the media. Do whatever you can locally to help the victims. Someone must speak for them and it can’t just be the reporters covering this mess. Perhaps the UN can help?
The helplessness you all feel is very, very real. I feel it too. Let’s not be like the administration and let it overwhelm us. The victims deserve more than that. This is so incredibly beyond words. My thoughts are with all who’ve lost someone close, who wait to hear about the fate of those they love, and who must watch this insanity from a distance knowing how utterly devastating this inaction is. I can’t imagine your pain.
I have been so impressed by the genuine emotions expressed by the journalists who are sticking it out in NO, enduring harsh conditions to tell the story. They are frustrated and angry and they are asking all the right questions without fear of being politically incorrect.
I read a horrible account of conditions inside the Superdome this morning in the LA Times. People sleeping in urine, at least two rapes including a child, blood and feces on the walls, unimaginable stench. My God.
To be levelheaded, we do have to understand that many of these stories cannot be substantiated. For example, the supposed break-in of a children’s hospital by a crazed mob of looters actually never happened, according to the hospital staff.
There are a lot of stories getting out there, and no one really has any way of confirming. What we can see with our own eyes is terrible enough.
It is terrible and it makes you wonder just what you are NOT seeing.
The sources for the LA Times story are National Guard inside the Superdome.
This from Atrios:
CNN’s Spellman on conditions in the Convention Center:
I heard it myself. Reporters everywhere, water and food nowhere. People begging to leave. I’m heartsick.
CNN’s reporter Chris (Lawrence ?) said the same thing not long ago. People are dying. No one at the convention center seems to be in charge. There appears to be no coordinated plan.
by the way it sure is good to see you here!
Thanks. I’ve been watching so much of this coverage and I really need an outlet for all of these feelings and thoughts. This is just staggering and I can’t believe how inept the assistance plan has been. I should know better, considering this administration’s track record, but even I had some faith that this type of crisis had been well planned for. I was so wrong.
I vote for you to take over at FEMA, who has just suspended operations, because it is “too dangerous.”
Why do I get the sickening sickening feeling that in the months to come, New Orleans refugees everywhere are going to become target practice for “security forces” composed of shell-shocked ex-Marines back from the Iraqi front…
We knew this was going to happen. We talked about it well beforehand on many blogs, about what happens to abused armies when they come home, the type of work they get, the way the brutality of war spills into the society back home.
…could we call on people with their own money? Celebs., CEOs?? Would they shoot planes down out of the airspace that were trying to drop water to these people??
We’ve let a baby die? And HOW many others? Katrina was DONE on Monday — what the FUCK have these people been doing for 72 hours, what????
This is despicable, I don’t have adjectives vile enough for how I feel about this situation, I think I am going to throw up.
Very sobering to fly over the region.
Tomorrow’s visit is another way for the President to show nation’s support and compassion (how about passing them a fucking water bottle).
Also a time to offer encouragement and comfort to boost spitits. (Pass the fucking Ritz crackers, you nob).
support then helicopters need to leave Fort Rucker Alabama right the fuck now. They have plenty of choppers and some of the most experienced pilots in world teaching and we aren’t doing anything here. They could be there in three hours, maybe faster….Blackhawks actually fly faster than Apaches do and if they need Apaches then we know they want no witnesses.
I just called Sen. Boxer’s office and went on a tirade. The girl just kept saying she’d pass that information on and I can go to Barbara’s web site for information on how to help. I said No I already am doing my part I want to know what she’s doing? She said well congress is in recess but they will address it when they get back in session. I said NO! Call an emergency session NOW! People, children, babies are dying of starvation as we speak. I want an answer what she is doing now. She kept saying mam, I will relay that information and I cannot speak for the senator. I said let me talk to someone that will. No one here right now we are in recess…blah, blah, blah. I gave her my phone# and said have the senator call me when she has an answer and when I hang up I am calling the Union Tribune and asking them to ask the same question of my senator. What the fuck is wrong with these people? I am shaking I am so GD pissed off!
Are you fucking kidding me?
Just look at the HOME page of Yahoo.com — it’s very, very bad there. I can’t find words to describe it.
I just e-mailed an alert to my local ol’ Howard Dean group — still 100+ strong — and gave them the numbers of our senators and rep. + links to these stories.
This is a massive federal response effort. We are continuing to coordinate with local and state authorities. (Stop coordinating, start feeding).
It is a really big job. Blah blah blah.
President is talking to lots of people. (Fucking fly in and land at the Superdome and put a sign up — major hurricane operations completed — that outta bail your dumb ass outta this disaster).
The most experienced Army pilots in the world and an assload of Blackhawks are sitting fueled and ready to go on the tarmac less than 300 miles away as the crow flies. This isn’t a fucking Federal Response, this is all fucking lies! Those helicopters have been sitting there for three days too fueled and fully operational and fucking nothing has been done!
I’ll be right next to you screaming my head off!
I am not gonna…I did on the phone with Boxer’s office. I mean I am in MY office screaming and pounding the desk. I started out very calm but when she went into the blather about congress in recess , back next Tuesday I just lost it. PLEASE everyone flood the switchboards. I told this gal I would keep calling until someone called me back with an anser to “Barbara Boxer what is California/THE Nation doing to help these people that are starving to death and dying of thirst?”
Boxer and big friends are coming back early! That must have been some pissed off call darling!
Thanks Susan, I think you’re right — the government isn’t doing its job. We desperately need leadership and I second your wish — tell everyone to call their politicians and their media and let them know this is not acceptable.
We need them to drop food and water. We need them to get buses and boats there. We need them to order people to open up their hotels and motels and give the refugees somewhere to sleep.
We need to get radios out there. People are decsending into violence because they have no hope anyone’s doing anything and they are dying. I don’t know what all else to do, but saying oh, well and leaving people to die and roam the earth homeless is not acceptable. Every one of us needs to contact the so-called leaders of this nation and exert whatever pressure we can.
Bush currently eating lunch with Greenspan. That’s a relief.
I think we’re only supposed to see enraged black people, not little blonde ladies. This reporter has been wonderful all week, I’m grateful for her determination.
This is all a show to excuse the rapacious racist policies of pResident Nero. Now they will reap that class war he’s asking for with his “Zero tolerance” make-my-day talk.
Laura and Bush have made a significant contribution to the Red Cross. Phew.
On to questions.
What’s your assessment of damage? Ask Chertoff. Wind damage in Mississippi. Flood damage in New Orleans. That’s what he could see from plane. Great. That helps.
People on the ground are questioning why it has taken three days or more to send help? Considerable bitterness, one woman asking “Where’s the Calvarly?” And there is considerable editorial disappointment with Bush? This is a massive job. (It’s hard). Efforts are ongoing. I can understand frustration. (I understand). We need to prioritize needs (that will help). We will continue to move resources and assets into the region to help. Transportation has moved 7 million MRE. We’ve moved in millions of gallons of water. A lot of ice.
But none of that means anything to someone who has been living on an overpass for three days, without food or water? We saw those people flying over. Our concern is with them. It is a major catastrophe. It is a major response. We understand the frustration. We’ll continue working.
Fuck them.
Has the President thought of bringing any national guard back from Iraq to help? We talked about that yesterday. We will evaluate (or something).
I love Helen. Scottie isn’t even breaking a sweat. I swear he’s an automaton.
WH press briefing on CNN right now.
Homeland Security news conference at 1:30pm ET.
Susan. If so, I think I should be shot as a looter.
We’ve heard a number of reports about shots/looting? And some that they are not true. That they are urban legends? Ask the security briefers later. But, Bush will not tolerate law breakers (except Halliburton executives) We are zero tolerance.
DOE reports massive power outages — people supplying power have no homes. Any thought of federalizing effort? That is getting into operations — ask Chertoff. We are working on gas shortage. That’s why the EPA cut regulations yesterday. That’s why the pertoleum reserve has been opened.
This “zero tolerance.” Does that accept people from stealing food and water? Yes. The president talked about this. That is why we have a massive effort to get them food and water and ice. Stealing is not the way to feed yourself. (Fuck you dick).
A rhetorical question from Scottie to himself. Are we doing everything we can? Do they have the food and water and ice in the near term. That is our goal. Long term. We will continue to develop stategy. Note to Scottie. People are starving and thirsting to death in a fucking convention center as you flap your lips.
Implementing plan — Clap my hands over exploding skull.
Roger, out.
Thank you BostonJoe for keeping us updated as to the latest lies and avoidance breifing.
Sorry I just couldn’t go on.
You’re great, Boston Joe. Your reviews of the NYT are classics.
I completely understand!
ignoring what advice of your own? (Sorry … not supposed to do that… I know better.) FUCK IT.
Susan, he said it. I watched it. My son had to tel me to stop hollering at the tv.
When I told him what Bush said, he called him names…
I believe Bush said it. I was expressing disgust with what Armando wrote about it … they’re so fucking PC, it’s a lost cause.
Yeah, I read your comment a little too fast the first time…that other guys is a loon, IMO.
P.S. My diary combining both of these stories — and that great video — has scrolled off within 10 minutes .. too many diaires at DKos. SIgh.
jeez — post the link here and tell everyone to recommend. That’s a big community and this needs to get out there.
DIARY
Thanks, Izzy .. but I bet it won’t do any good … there are far too many diaries.
“ignoring what advice of your own?”
Yesterday Armando, echoing Kevin Drum, suggested that “now is not the time for finger pointing” or at least that’s the way Wolcott paraphrased or quoted him before delivering a smackdown that should make Armando feel about 4 inches tall. har. Wolcott’s blog post is the only thing I’ve found all day that briefly brought a smile to my lips.
Here’s the link: http://jameswolcott.com/
.
Due to 9/11, all major cities and States should have ready a Disaster Scenario which structures command, communications, relief and security effort. All indications are, none of these were present in one of the major Gulf coast cities: New Orleans and nearby home of an essential US port and harbor with oil terminals: Gulfport Mississippi.
Who needs terrorists, when the US cities in case of a natural phenomena, cannot hold up its own breaches. In addition, the absence of thousands of NG men and women has made a minor disaster into a devastating, all encompassing disorder of National consequence and economic disruption.
Once again: on the Republican watch of Bush | Cheney and its lack of leadership and unity in American society. A nation divided is a nation heading for one failure to the next. Read the following report from CNN news desk today, and watch the video —
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) — A day after Hurricane Katrina dealt a devastating blow to the Big Easy, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Tuesday night blasted what he called a lack of coordination in relief efforts for setting behind the city’s recovery.
“There is way too many fricking … cooks in the kitchen,” Nagin said in a phone interview with WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, fuming over what he said were scuttled plans to plug a 200-yard breach near the 17th Street Canal, allowing Lake Pontchartrain to spill into the central business district.
An earlier breach occurred along the Industrial Canal in the city’s Lower 9th Ward. Watch the video featuring Nagin’s complaints about delayed sandbagging — 0:56
A satellite image taken on August 31 shows the city of New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katarina. Submerged streets are seen as dark areas towards the top of the picture. Survivors were evacuating the shattered city on September 1 as authorities confronted growing lawlessness and desperation.Digital Globe/Reuters
The National Weather Service reported a breach along the Industrial Canal levee at Tennessee Street, in southeast New Orleans, on Monday. Local reports later said the levee was overtopped, not breached, but the Corps of Engineers reported it Tuesday afternoon as having been breached.
But Nagin said a repair attempt was supposed to have been made Tuesday. According to the mayor, Black Hawk helicopters were scheduled to pick up and drop massive 3,000-pound sandbags in the 17th Street Canal breach, but were diverted on rescue missions.
Nagin said neglecting to fix the problem has set the city behind by at least a month. “I had laid out like an eight-week to ten-week timeline where we could get the city back in semblance of order. It’s probably been pushed back another four weeks as a result of this.”
“That four weeks is going to stop all commerce in the city of New Orleans. It also impacts the nation, because no domestic oil production will happen in southeast Louisiana.” Nagin expects relief efforts in the city to improve as New Orleans, the National Guard and FEMA combine their command centers for better communication, follow up and accountability.
Law of the Jungle in Convention Center NO
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A vacationing MP from Spanish parliament, succeeded to get a phone call out to a friend in Spain. CCNi reported the information thru this friend, the law of the jungle rules in the convention center and immediate surroundings. There is complete lack of presence of any authority. The Spanish MP is trying to get the attention of the Spanish government in an attempt to be evacuated out of a desolate and life endangering situation.
~~~
Well, Shep Smith is back on the FOX news rail — they must have gotten him hydrated and shot back full of the attitude.
MSNBC on the other hand is showing videos of the Convention Center — people are pissed off. Tony something or other is talking right now — he siad he’s seen two people die in front of him, they showed a desperate mother with her baby that looked almost dead, the pain on her face was too much, a lady yelling about how there has been nothing had been done for these old people, she said look, film that look at them.
The anchor just said, we have some of the footage that you shot, that we OBVIOUSLY WE COULDN”T AIR — you sons of bitches — fucking air it, this photojournalist kicks ass Tony Zumbado is his name, there’s no Plan B, there’s no Plan A…two babies have died, he is emphasizing, that these are the families who did what they were told, followed directions, who belived in the government, they did everything they were supposed to do — they have been LEFT BEHIND.
They’re showing it on CNN right now.
There people have not eaten in 2 days.
They are swimming in piss and shit.
They all have that thousand mile look in their eyes.
This is a disaster.
Why can’t they drop packets of food and water … or christ something!
Showing dead people just … there. A woman DEAD in her wheelchair with a fucking blanket tossed over her! Another dead body at her feet.
It’s insane.
This is it folks. I’ve been fucking knocked senseless over this.
As one of the people on the scene said, I treat my dog better than this.
Oh God America … I’m so sorry for what is happening to your country right now.
meant to make a statement about what Tony Zumbado kept saying…Left Behind. How fucking ironic is that, these stupid end-times books that people are reading by the MILLIONS talking about a horrific apocalypse that sounds very much like what is going on in New Orleans. I don’t know what God they worship, but my God would never deliberately bring that kind of horror down upon his people.
I just watched that heart breaking segment with Tony Zumbado. He said these are the people who obeyed the local government, who did what they were supposed to do and walked miles through chest-deep water to the convention center and they are dying here. They’re being patient, they’re trying to take care of each other and no one is bringing anything to them, no water, no food, nothing. There are dead people along the walls, dead people sitting in the chairs they died in, in the wheelchairs (on my fucking god) they died in.
You’re right…that mother holding her baby, he was obviously dehydrated and near death. She couldn’t wake him up.
Goddammit….Harry Fucking Connick can get in but they can’t bring in a busload of bottled water!?
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Virtually overnight, fun-loving New Orleans transformed from America’s playground into a waterlogged wasteland. Photos of houses and highways underwater and reports of dead bodies floating in swampy debris and frightened refugees huddling for cover have left us mute. Hurricane Katrina turned out to be at least as violent as expected and will likely turn out to be among the biggest hurricanes of all time.
Yet, in Europe, the Web sites of major aid organizations — including international branches of the Red Cross in Germany, France, England etc. — don’t even mention its existence.
A National Guardsman helps evacuate a five-month-old girl after her family's New Orleans home was flooded.Unlike underdeveloped Third World nations, America has a well-honed and highly organized system of emergency aid distribution. So, when disaster hits, the nation — and even individual states — can readily help themselves. “If the American Red Cross asks us for help, we will be there directly,” said Margitta Zimmermann, German Red Cross spokesperson. “But so far, there haven’t been any calls for our services.”
Kristina Decker, from Germany’s Christian aid group Caritas, concurred, saying help from Germany might even cause more harm than good. “America has a strong army and are well equipped for disaster relief,” she said.
~~~
What a load of bull. I hope you set them straight, Oui.
America has a well-honed and highly organized system of emergency aid distribution. So, when disaster hits, the nation — and even individual states — can readily help themselves
How pathetic.
Where’s Rumsfeld? I haven’t seen a peep out of him.
Where’s Condi? Why isn’t she out there calling for international help?
Where’s Cheney? Golfing?
Condi is shoe shopping in NYC. She’s still on vacation, it seems.
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/09/breaking-sec-of-state-condi-rice.html
That is just unf*ckingbelievable!
CSPAN now has the video of today’s WH press briefing up on its site.